Part 12 (1/2)
”Mm. Not that many. But it got their attention, didn't it?”
”Oh yeah. You made it on the evening news.”
”So I got what I wanted. We've created a buzz, as they say.” He seemed rather tickled with himself. ”But what are you thinking, Travis? Are you getting the point?”
I fidgeted and s.h.i.+fted the receiver to my other ear. ”I didn't know there was a point.”
”People need results. They need to see something. You know how it was: *Show us a sign so we can believe in you.' Give the people what they want and they'll show up.”
I dug deep for some patience. ”Doesn't it bother you that I have no idea who you are or why you're even calling me?”
He ignored me. ”Be honest, Travis. Are you so much different from them? Haven't you ever felt the way they do? Haven't you ever wished I'd just do what you ask and not keep you guessing and waiting and wondering? Up until now you've never even seen me. I wonder if that's fair.”
”You can quit the masquerade. You're not Jesus and you know it.”
He paused just a moment, and then I could hear him stifling a little laugh, probably smiling. ”Humor me, Travis, just for the sake of argument. You expected a lot from me when you were younger, remember? You thought I'd heal Andy and Karla. You thought I'd get you out of the s.h.i.+pyard. You thought I'd bring Amber back to you. You even thought I'd given you signs and prophecies, remember?”
If he was trying to scare me, he was succeeding. I had no words as I groped my memory for any clue about this man, any time or place I may have known him before.
”Travis, that's okay, don't worry about it. I'm only making a point. You expected a lot from me and I disappointed you. That's part of what you're dealing with, isn't it?”
”That was a long time ago. I was just a kid.”
”So what happened to Andy?”
I didn't answer.
He goaded me. ”Traaaavis . . . What happened?”
I snapped at him. ”You're G.o.d. You tell me!”
”Remember the next day at school, Travis? Remember his hands shaking? Remember how scared he was?”
I could still see Andy and Karla together, confronting me in the lunchroom. Andy had skipped his insulin that morning, and now he was reacting. They were asking me what they should do. Karla was still wearing her gla.s.ses.
I told them, ”Just believe. Believe and you'll be healed.”
We prayed together, trusting G.o.d.
That afternoon, Karla took Andy home for some insulin. He made it through okay.
The voice sounded soothing, as if trying to comfort me. ”So you can't blame people for getting excited. I'm doing things, Travis.
I'm actually making things happen. I've changed.”
I'd been holding back the question because I knew he wouldn't answer it, but now there was no other thought or question available. ”I want to know who you are.”
He didn't answer it. ”I healed Norman Dillard and Matt Kiley today.”
This could have been good news, but not the teasing way he said it. ”You did what?”
”I healed them, Travis.” He dragged out the word healed as if he enjoyed making me hear it. ”Just like I'm supposed to do. Norman can see without his gla.s.ses and Matt can walk. It's all over town by now. People are going nuts.”
I just wasn't going to fall for this. ”I'm going to call Matt and ask him.”
”He isn't home right now. I think he's walking around town showing off.”
”I'm calling him.”
”You'll have to talk to Kyle Sherman first. He's about to call you. Talk to you soon.”
Click. He was gone.
I kept the receiver in my hand as I pressed the b.u.t.ton to hang up my end. Before I could release it, the phone rang.
”h.e.l.lo?”
”Travis!” It was Kyle Sherman. ”Have you heard about Norman Dillard and Matt Kiley?”
I didn't want to hear about it from Kyle, but I did want to hear about it. I finally said, ”Tell me.”
He told me every detail. Apparently the town was still in an uproar and Matt really was taking a walk around the town to show off. ”Norman and Matt say Jesus did it. They say he's in town, Travis. Remember what you said at the ministerial meeting? Well, it's happened.”
I sat there, not a word coming to mind.
”What do you make of it?”
”Uh, I don't know, Kyle. I have to think about it.” But what could I think about the man who mowed half of John Billings's lawn, called me after Jim Baylor had left, and knew all about Andy and Karla? ”Did you see Matt yourself? Can he really walk?”
”Yes, Travis. He can really walk. He's healed. And Norman can read things far away without his gla.s.ses.”
I just couldn't get into a conversation with Kyle Sherman. Not about this.
”This isn't Jesus, Travis! You know that!”
I kept silent.
”h.e.l.lo?”
”I'm here. I'm thinking.”
”What's to think about? We have to do something! We have to pray this thing into the open and come against it- ”
”I said I have to think about it!”
Kyle heard the edge in my voice and backed off a little. ”Okay. You think about it. I'm going to pray about it.”